Higley Unified School District has developed individual Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) for all schools as well as a district EOP that adheres to the standards set forth by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the Arizona Department of Emergency & Military Affairs (AZDEMA). Our school and district EOPs follow the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and include a comprehensive Incident Command System (ICS). Each school site has an emergency response team where each member has been trained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and has been assigned roles through an ICS. The school sites' ICS feeds into our comprehensive district emergency response team in which further training by FEMA and more specific roles are assigned to district personnel. 

 

Our campuses are assessed regularly by Terrorism Liaison Officers (TLO) to conduct Threat Vulnerability Assessments (TVA) based on standards set forth by the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, all schools are also assessed for threats and risks using a tool developed by The Trust. The data acquired from all assessments is used for planning and upgrades to our facilities. 

 

Each school has a safety team that meets quarterly and the district has a safety committee that meets throughout the year. Additionally, employees have been trained to evaluate and address school threats and school crises and follow the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) and PREPaRE Crisis Prevention and Intervention. 

 

During emergency situations, it is imperative we preserve a safe and secure environment for your child’s sake and for all students and employees. HUSD works closely with the Gilbert Police Department, the Queen Creek Police Department, the Gilbert Fire Department and the Queen Creek Fire Department to ensure that we provide a safe and secure learning environment. These community agencies and the State help train and provide guidance regarding the best practices.

 

When a police department or fire department directs a school to lockdown, evacuate, or shelter-in-place, the school will take all directions from that law enforcement agency. The safety of our students and employees must come first. The district will support the school by notifying families through text, email and push notifications. The "when" and "what" regarding the information given to the public must be done with law enforcement’s approval and support.